


The Golden Cage

by BradyGirl_12



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Birds, Drama, Established Relationship, Fairy Tale Elements, Fairy Tale Style, M/M, Male Slash, Romance, Slash, fairytale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-10
Updated: 2013-09-10
Packaged: 2017-12-26 05:37:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/962222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BradyGirl_12/pseuds/BradyGirl_12
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The beautiful Little Bird sings his heart out for his sad, young Prince.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Golden Cage

**Author's Note:**

> Original LJ Date Of Completion: September 4, 2013  
> Original LJ Date Of Posting: September 10, 2013  
> Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘em, DC does, more’s the pity.  
> Original LJ Word Count: 1153  
> Feedback welcome and appreciated.

_Bright colors swirl_  
_Like rainbow air,_  
_And sparkle_  
_Like jewels_  
_While the ___  
_Song of Love_  
_Is sung_  
_With crystalline_  
_Tones,_  
_Pure and sweet._

  
****

**Sally Sue Storm**  
**"Sparkle Like Jewels"**  
**1961 C.E.**

_Once upon a time, a beautiful Little Bird lived in a Golden Cage in the Royal Palace. His plumage was bright with a red belly and yellow and green feathers. His birdsong was clear and bright and cheerful, and everyone who heard it smiled and felt happy._

_The Cage was studded with rubies, topazes and emeralds, and a giant sapphire was affixed to the very top with the royal crest. The Little Bird was happiest while perching on the tiny trapeze bar. There was always plenty of food and water and the sunlight streamed in to set the Golden Cage sparkling. Everyone who saw it declared the beautiful Golden Cage and its beautiful Little Bird as breathtaking._

_The Little Bird sang when the sun came up and when the sun went down. He sang all day but was quiet at night._

_He had come to the Palace as a wounded Little Bird, his family’s nest destroyed by bad people. His song then had been drenched in sorrow, but the Prince had found him and brought him home._

_The Prince and his High Chamberlain cared for the grieving Little Bird until his grief lessened and his true sunny nature emerged. He began to sing and the entire Palace was cheered._

_The Little Bird wanted to sing because the Prince was a man of sorrow. The King and Queen had been killed by evil people and his heart was heavy. When the Little Bird discovered this, he sang his best songs. The door to his cage was never locked so he was free to come and go as he pleased._

_At first the Prince would look at him with sad eyes but one morning he flew around the Prince’s head while chirping and the Prince laughed._

_The sound was joy to the Little Bird’s ears. From that morning on he would always visit his brooding Prince and make him happy. The Prince would pet his feathers and whisper sweet words to his beautiful Little Bird._

_Such moments of joy were also observed by baleful eyes one day. The jingle of bells was soft as the observer disappeared into the shadows._

_And so it was that the next morning there was no joyful birdsong to greet the dawn. The Golden Cage was empty._

_The Prince set out to find his Little Bird. The Court Jester had stolen his precious bird and he would never allow that to stand._

_The Prince tracked down the Court Jester by hearing his Little Bird’s clear song. He found the garishly-painted castle and the tower from where he could hear his Little Bird sing. The Court Jester came out and fought the Prince on the drawbridge high above the moat with his quarterstaff and squirting flower as his foolscap bells jingled and his maniacal laugh grated on the royal ears. The Prince knocked him into the moat. While the Court Jester was occupied with avoiding becoming a snack of the creatures in the moat, the Prince went to stand at the base of the tower and threw up a rope. The grappling hook caught on the narrow window’s sill._

_He climbed up and found his Little Bird in a rusty iron cage. His precious one hopped up and down and sang gloriously. The Prince laughed and opened the cage and his Little Bird flew into his hands. He stroked the bright feathers gently._

_“Oh, Little One, life is not as joyful without you.”_

__

& & & & & &

_Back at the Palace the Prince brought the Little Bird to his Golden Cage. Its jewels sparkled and the Prince said, “You are my song, Little One.” He stroked the beautiful feathers again and kissed the top of his Little Bird’s head._

_Suddenly the glorious bird was transformed in a flash of light to a beautiful young man clad in raiments of scarlet, gold, and green, studded with rubies, topazes and emeralds. A giant sapphire was set in a gold medallion that rested on the young man’s chest. The Prince was awestruck._

_The young man held his hand out. “You deserve happiness.”_

_The Prince stared and then a smile slowly spread across his face. He took the young man’s hand and stepped into the light._

& & & & & &

“Wake up, Sleeping Beauty.”

“Wrong fairytale,” Dick mumbled. He opened his eyes and squinted up at Bruce from his position on the poolside lounge chair.

Bruce was backlit by the sun, a halo glowing around his head, which amused Dick. Bruce sat down on the chair and rubbed his thumb along the younger man’s jaw.

“You’re mine,” he whispered.

“Oh, yeah.”

Bruce leaned over and kissed Dick deeply. Dick gripped Bruce’s arms and kissed back enthusiastically.

When Bruce broke the kiss he asked, “Want to take a dip in the pool?” Both were already clad in bathing suits.

“Why stay in the pool? Let’s take a chance in the ocean.”

Bruce smiled slightly. “All right.” He noticed the book in Dick’s lap. “Fairytales?” He picked it up. “You brought this with you when I brought you home,” he said softly.

“Yeah, Mom and Dad gave it to me for Christmas when I was six. They read it to me until I learned to read, though this was one of my favorite requests at bedtime even after I learned how.”

Bruce flipped through the book and returned it to Dick. He stood and went to get the beach towels that were draped over the nearby chair.

Dick stretched languidly. The Golden Cage of his dream was what some people thought he lived in with Bruce. Bruce’s possessiveness could be considered a cage. Dick knew better.

When he had first arrived at the Manor, grief-stricken and confused, Alfred and Bruce had cared for him and made him feel safe and loved. He’d learned quickly that Bruce liked to control things, but Dick knew how to get around that.

He stood and stretched again with a yawn. He carefully put the book on the lounge chair.

Those who knew about him and Bruce were a small group, and some did think that Bruce was too possessive. “He’s too smothering,” is what one concerned friend had said, but Dick had just smiled and assured the agitated party that he knew what he was doing.

Bruce tossed one of the towels over toward him. “Ready?”

Dick caught the towel with ease. “Let’s go.”

Bruce kissed him again and stroked his back, slipping his arm around Dick’s shoulders. He tossed the towel over his shoulder and they head down to the beach.

_Bruce’s possessiveness might be a Golden Cage, but as long as the door’s always unlocked, it’s exactly what I need…and **want.**_

Dick began to whistle a merry tune as Bruce looked at him in fond amusement.


End file.
